Hundreds protest in Vancouver following Stanley not-guilty verdict

"Nevertheless an all white jury formed the twisted view of that obvious truth and found Stanley not guilty". The verdict, which was handed down Friday evening, was met with anger and sadness among the crowd in Saskatoon.

A jury in Battleford, Sask., deliberated 13 hours before finding Gerald Stanley not guilty of second-degree murder Friday in the 2016 death of Colten Boushie, a 22-year-old resident of the Red Pheasant First Nation.

Stanley testified that the gun "just went off" and his lawyer argued that Boushie's death was a "freak accident" caused by Stanley responding to a highly charged situation in a "measured" way, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix newspaper reported. Her office issued a joint statement Saturday with the Federation of SaskatchewanIndigenous Nations that said there are many Indigenous mothers who share the pain of the Boushie family, when their children are lost, removed or jailed in Canada.

Ouellette said the system's failures extended into Stanley's trial.

There is a simple way to do better, and a quick way to do better - eliminate the system of peremptory challenges, something that invites racism in the system and can be eliminated by a Criminal Code amendment introduced by Wilson-Raybould tomorrow. "We're calling for an inquiry, we're calling for the government to act", Mr. Pratt said. "We commit to the spirit of love, we commit to the spirit of change and we commit to a spirit of growth".

"Justin, Indigenous people have never received justice throughout Canada". Today I got to Sasaktoon to meet with the premier of Saskatchewan.

Rekunyk said she was outraged at "every single level" of the justice system, including the RCMP's investigation, the handling of the case by the Crown, and the jury selection process.

Speakers at the Vancouver rally included Indigenous advocate Lorelei Williams and First Nations hip-hop artist Ronnie Dean Harris, who called on non-Indigenous people to "stand up".

"The Saskatchewan I am proud to call home is one that is strongest when our communities work together".

In a post to Facebook, organizer Jacqueline Pelland says - "We know white supremacy has led to Colten's death".

Stanley said he saw the SUV had stopped near where his wife was mowing the lawn moments before.

"We need to look and listen and take the time to hear", Mr. Clark said.

"You can't go from that fact to say the verdict was wrong".

More than a dozen gatherings took place, from Vancouver to Edmonton to Halifax.

"Indigenous people across this country are angry, they're heartbroken, and I know Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians alike know that we have to do better." the prime minister said. We are not going anywhere. "No family should have to endure what we had to go through".

Hundreds of people rallied in front of Regina's Court of Queen's Bench Saturday morning in support of the late Colten Boushie and in protest to the acquitted Gerald Stanley.